Over the years, the Fulcrum staff has been involved in more than 70 Stein Mart projects. The range of challenges they have overcome illustrates Fulcrum Construction’s impressive capabilities.

Rush to Open Four Stores for Holidays

Stein Mart and Fulcrum staff worked in partnership to open four new Stein Mart stores in the fall of 2001. It took no more than 18 weeks from lease execution to store opening for any of the four projects. Fulcrum President Mike Arasin attributed the quick turnaround to three key elements: proactive project management, strong onsite supervision and partnerships with design professionals. All the projects were completed on a design/build basis with change orders averaging less than 1.5% of original contract.

“Each project had its own unique challenges and obstacles to overcome and, through hard work, resourcefulness and planning, all fixture dates were achieved,” Arasin recalled.

Creating “collections”

When Stein Mart decided to roll out a new concept store aimed at upscale centers in resort and premium markets, they enlisted the help of Fulcrum’s staff. The “collections of Stein Mart” concept is a smaller, more intimate version of Stein Mart’s typical 30,000-36,000 square foot stores. At between 11,000 and 15,000 square feet, the “collections” format allows Stein Mart to enter higher-priced markets and still offer compelling value to the customers.

Based on their extensive experience with Stein Mart and a general idea of what they wanted this store to look like, Fulcrum’s staff was able to create a working estimate for a store that nobody had ever seen before. There were no plans; only half completed preliminary prototype drawings and a very aggressive schedule. By the time the permits were obtained, they had four weeks to build a store that should have taken eight.

By taking into consideration potential construction issues, such as the complexity of installing a mezzanine on a second floor, untested design criteria and possible issues with available utilities, Fulcrum’s staff was able to put together an accurate estimate that made this design-build project feasible. Although there were many design changes throughout the project, they were all integrated without having to re-do anything. This resulted in a no-change-order job that was delivered on time.

Emergency Response

When disaster struck the Stein Mart store in Mission Viejo, Calif., Fulcrum staff answered the call. A clogged roof drain and unusually heavy rains for Southern California resulted in a collapsed section of roof (approx. 1500 sf) and an ensuing flood that wreaked havoc on the entire store. Even though none of Fulcrum’s staff is stationed in California, Stein Mart trusted only one group to oversee the reclamation effort. In less than two weeks, the store was reopened for business. All new flooring had been installed, damaged drywall was replaced and the entire store was repainted.

Once the store was reopened, Stein Mart needed the collapsed roof area and the entire Boutique department rebuilt. Coincidentally, a remodel and addition of a mezzanine project were slated to start at the store in less than a month. Fulcrum staff made the call to combine both projects and complete them as one, resulting in less disruption of the store. Both the mezzanine addition and Boutique rebuild were completed in less than four weeks.

Mike Allen, Stein Mart’s vice president of real estate, is particularly impressed by the Fulcrum team’s ability to assess potential sites with very little information and provide reliable construction budgets. “In the past, other contractors would need a full set of building plans before they could provide an estimate. Mike Arasin and his team use their experience and knowledge of our prototype stores and come up with an accurate estimate of what it will take to convert it into a Stein Mart store,” he said. "Before we can actually cut a deal with the landlord, we need to know construction costs so we can determine an appropriate rent. We can't afford to play a guessing game and they make it easy for us. They offer us real value."